1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cameras, and particular, to camera viewfinders, and most particularly, to an indicating device for indicating photographic data and the like in a viewfinder, especially a liquid crystal indicating device arranged along the view field frame of the viewfinder.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Quite recently, meter indications in the viewfinder of a camera, particularly single lens reflex cameras, have utilized LED displays. However, an LED (light emitting diode), which is a light emitting body consumes a considerable amount of electric power. Hence, digital indications or the like using many LEDs consume comparatively large amounts of electricity. Therefore, the life of an LED loaded battery is short and renders the system inconvenient.
On the other hand, electrical indicators or displays using liquid crystals or the like are not concerned with active light emitting devices, but are passive. Hence, they consume little electric power. For this reason, liquid crystal displays are suitable for a device to be driven by small capacity power sources, such as are used in a camera. Thus, considerable consideration has been given to liquid crystal displays for cameras. However, a problem exists in the use of such liquid crystal displays.
The problem is best explained by referring to FIG. 1 which shows an example of an indicating device using a liquid crystal. In the drawing, glass base plates 1 and 2 having transparent electrode patterns carry polarization plates 3 and 4. A width of 10.mu. separates the base plates, between which the liquid crystal 6 is located and sealed by means of the seal 5. At the same time, the seal 5 serves as a spacer across which the electrodes 1 and 2 face each other. On an indication portion 7, one produces indication by applying a voltage between the electrodes 1 and 2. The space between the end plane of the glass base plate and the liquid crystal material is the seal width. From the view point of fidelity in securing the base plates, it is necessary that the seal portion should have a certain width. On the other hand, the seal portion includes the glass end plane and not the indication portion. Hence, necessarily, light is shaded from the indication portion. However, due to this light shading portion, the liquid crystal indication portion is spaced from the edge of the view field frame in such a manner that the indication in the view field is hard to observe. This is inconvenient.